Burns waits for big decision from Marquez

RICKY BURNS remains hopeful of becoming WBO lightweight champion by taking on Juan Manuel Marquez next year but has revealed he doubts if the Mexican boxing legend is even aware of his existence.

An exemplary performance from Burns earlier this month, when he convincingly outpointed highly-respected Australian fighter Michael Katsidis at Wembley Arena, saw the Scot installed as the WBO’s interim lightweight title holder.

The full championship remains in the possession of Marquez, who stepped up to welterweight 10 days ago to face Manny Pacquiao, suffering another controversial defeat against the Filipino superstar in the third epic showdown of their careers.

Marquez must now decide whether to return to the lightweight division, where Burns would be his mandatory challenger, or give up the WBO belt.

“Hopefully we will find out in the next couple of weeks,” said Burns. “If he vacates, then I’ll be made full world champion. But if me moves back down to lightweight, it would be an honour for me to step into the ring with him, whether I win, lose or draw.

“I’ve always said I’m more than prepared to fight anyone out there and it happens against Marquez, it would be fantastic. But is he even going to have heard of me? He is up there with the likes of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, so I think he’s going to be looking for much bigger fights.”

Burns was speaking after helping to make the William Hill Scottish Cup fourth-round draw at Hampden yesterday.

There can be little doubt that the Coatbridge man’s exploits over the past two years, which saw him capture the WBO super-featherweight title before his successful step up to lightweight, have earned him recognition throughout the boxing world but he added: “The reason I wonder if Marquez knows about me is that he is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world right now and he will be looking for the big-money fights in America.

“I’ve always said I’d like to fight there, too, one day. I was supposed to defend the super-featherweight title over there but making the weight was killing me, so I decided to move up to lightweight. It seems to have paid off, because against Katsidis I looked so much stronger and felt so much fresher.

“I’ve had a couple of weeks off but I’ll be back in the gym again this week. My next fight, whoever it is against, is likely to be in February or March, so there is plenty of time.”